655,000 Men Went Into Russia. 93,000 Came Out | Napoleon Bonaparte

About this episode

What if the guy history remembers as a tiny, insecure tyrant was actually an average-height military genius who reshaped the laws of 120 countries? Napoleon Bonaparte is way weirder — and way more consequential — than the "short man complex" meme. This week Jaron and Tim go deep on Napoleon Bonaparte, and the first thing they have to blow up is the myth — the guy was 5'7", which was actually on the tall end of average for France at the time. From there it's a wild ride through one of the most consequential lives in human history. Born on Corsica in 1769 into a world that was about to catch revolution fever, Napoleon rode his military genius up the ranks during the brutal Coalition Wars before orchestrating a slow-motion coup from the inside in 1799. The guys break down his Napoleonic Code (still foundational in 120+ countries), his self-crowning as emperor, and the Louisiana Purchase he used to fund his conquests. Then comes the catastrophe: 655,000 soldiers march into Russia, the Russians burn Moscow to the ground rather than surrender, and he limps out with just 93,000 men. Exile, escape, a 100-day comeback, and a final banishment to a speck of island off Africa follow. It's a